I loved this book. It is a crazy adventure Mullory is such a strong character who gets thrust into a world that her mother warned her to try and run from. Yet she finds herself wrapped up in a game that might just cause her to be immersed in the world she is suppose to run from. This book has dynamic characters and a plot that will just sweep readers away. I love the Clue like aspects of this book, and the flashbacks are perfectly timed to allow the reader to have a deeper sense of what is going on.
Thank you so much to Disney Publishing and Netgalley for allowing me to read an advance copy of this title.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to provide my honest review of this book.
3.5 stars is my ranking here, because, while the plot is solid and doesn’t have any big plot holes, the world building is shaky at times and the rules of the magic used don’t really make sense. That being said, I liked the book and think that the author can absolutely clean up the world building in further books. I really look forward to reading the next ones! Billed as a mix of Hotel Magnifique and Inheritance Games, this series definitely has a lot of potential if they keep going!

Thanks to NetGalley and Disney Audiobooks Hyperion for an advanced audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

5 stars

I really enjoyed Mystery Royale. Reminded me of The Inheritance Games with a splash of magic. Very fun and I can't wait for the sequel.

Mullory Prudence is 16 and living with her grandma after her mom sets fire to their house and disappears. Soon letters start arriving in odd places and she gets invited to a Southampton estate to compete to win a huge inheritance. Read (or listen to) and enjoy this magical mystery told in multiple POVs.

Excellent narration by James Babson and Emily O'Brien.

Title: Mystery Royale
Author: Kaitlyn Cavalancia
Format: 🎧
Narrators; James Babson and Emily O’Brien
Publisher: Disney Audiobook-Hyperion
Genre: Teen/Ya, Mystery & Fantasy
Pub Date: January 7, 2025
My Rating: 3 Stars!!
Pages: 400

Mullory-(yes~Mullory not Mallory!) Prudence lives in Punxsurawney and is sixteen years-old.
Her mother Esther Merrybright left her but did leave a warning: "Run if the strange finds you.“
Mullory lives with her grandmother, who has cancer. Mullory works at a pet grooming salon and also assists with student’s homework to try to make ends meet.

Mullory does receive a message that has her worried about her mother’s warning. She and six others receive an invitation from Stoutmire Estate to compete in a game of Mystery Royale game to be the one to win over two billion dollars, properties, and Xavier's magic.
Mullory doesn't care about the magic, but the money is enough of a tease to get her to accept.

Although I am not the target audience for this but as a High School Guidance Counselor I love to read YA stories. It pleases me when I can recommend a book as well just talk about books and encouraging reading for fun other than text books.

Although at first I wasn’t sure it was going to work, I hung in there and did like it.

BTW: The sequel is slated for Spring 2026.

Want to thank NetGalley and Disney Audiobooks/Hyperion for this early audiobook.
Publishing Release Date scheduled for January 7, 2025.

"What does Death fear most?"
Mystery Royale was a fun game of magical Clue where fate vs. free will is the timeless true question at play. This read like Inheritance Games but with a deadly fantasy twist and a more sure romance. Mullory is forced into an Inheritance gauntlet against a family full of secrets with rules she doesn't quite understand. She is one of the brightest young heroines I've read this year, using her logic and math skills to carry herself through despite her otherwise disadvantages. Lyric, the bitter heir-apparent, was another complex character walking the line between wanting to be both hero and villain in his own story.
I enjoyed the mystery, the characters, and the overall story. If anything, I wanted more. I am not entirely clear on the ending, but I grasp enough to be content.
I read both the ebook and audiobook. The audiobook has dual narrators for the four POVs, and both narrators did an excellent job of ensuring that I was never confused about whose chapter I was listening to.
Thanks to NetGalley, Disney Hyperion, and Hyperion audio for this ARC to review!

Mullory is just trying to get through and take care of her grandmother after her mother burns down their home and disappears. Before leaving, her mother warned her to do one thing: run if "the strange" finds her. But running is hard to do when magical letters start arriving and only increase when she tries to ignore them
It turns out Mullory is being invited to a competition unlike any other - one where the winner inherits not only the now-deceased Xavier Stoutmire's fortune, but also his magic.

While this twisty mystery could have felt like it relied on tropes of the genre, several of the twists and turns felt unique and fresh. Some characters felt a little less developed, and it was sometimes hard to feel empathy for, or interested in, them. But, this was overall an enjoyable mystery with a humorous tone that kept the pages turning.